Bara hime
by Jo Suzuki
Summary: The story of the Rose Princess told through a series of drabbles and snippets. Chapters will be in 200 words or less. *SPOILERS implied. Read at your own risk* Enjoy!
1. The Rose Princess

**A/N: In case you missed it in the summary, this story will be told in chapters of 200 words or less. Chapters will be SHORT. On purpose.  
That said, this is a story I've wanted to write for a long time and finally found the inspiration to do so! I've always loved the story of Bara-hime.  
This is my version of it. Hope you like it! :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**The Rose Princess**

Her dark tresses flowed in waves around her beautiful pear-shaped face. Enigmatic, deep-set eyes bordered her aristocratic nose and plum-red lips which stood out in the clear complexion of her face. Her beauty, none could match and her kindness, none could mar.

With a touch of her hand, she had the power to heal anything. Legends were told of her and her reputation far preceded her in lands unknown to her. Many suitors came from far and wide, seeking her favor and hoping to win her hand.

However, few survived the wrath of her family long enough to catch a glimpse of her. She was, after all, the precious jewel of the Hyo clan; the rose princess.

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**A/N:**** Please review! :)**


	2. Obsession

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Obsession**

"You really must consider marrying her off to one of those suitors brother. Some of them are more than deserving of her!"

"Nonsense, Ruka! Not a single one of them is worth a jewel like her." He twirled the red rose in his hand and breathed in its scent before continuing, "…even the roses shy in her wake. She truly is a rose princess…"

Ruka Hyo glared at her brother and the rose he held in his hand. Ryo Hyo was smitten, obsessed almost; of someone completely unworthy in her opinion. How she vied that attention he simply refused to bestow upon her!

He stopped twirling the flower and his eyes narrowed. "However, you are right Ruka. Something must be done about these wretched suitors."

A look of possessiveness gleamed in his eyes that worried Ruka. _What are you planning to do now on her account brother?_


	3. Possessive

******DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Possessive**

She was standing in a garden of roses whose beauty she upstaged by merely being present. He saw her caressing the petals of and breathing in the scent of rose she held in her hand. He stood mesmerized by the scene which seemed to have been taken out of a painting.

She sensed his approach despite his lightened footsteps. "What brings you here, Lord Hyo?" she asked, in a slightly tight voice.

"It is Ryo to you, my dear Shokun. And I am merely here to check up on you. After all, as clan head, it is my duty to protect our rose princess." He answered off-handedly. _My rose princess_, he silently added.

With decisive force, he stripped her hair of the golden pin that held it in place. His eyes gleamed dangerously as he asked, "What is this?"

"A gift; from one of the many young men you have warded off from this place. I quite like it." She added the last bit merely to goad him, but that was certainly not one of the wisest moves.

His decision was made. _Mine__, _he reiterated to himself as he broke the pin in his hand.


	4. Prisoner

******DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Prisoner**

A lone room at the top of a high tower became her new home. She was provided every comfort she could ask for, save for companionship. She hardly counted the visits from Lord Hyo to be so; they were detested and not looked forward to. She looked out of the sole window in her room to see her neglected flower garden.

"Is there anything you desire my dear?" Lord Ryo's voice interrupted her from her thoughts.

"Freedom.", she replied without turning.

"It is for your own protection."

She scoffed. "Surely, protection does not come with imprisonment?"

He departed silently without responding to her rhetorical question, leaving her alone with her thoughts.


	5. Orders

******DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Orders**

"Do not tell me that half the brains in this country have been shut down in lieu of her beauty?!" Emperor Senka exclaimed.

"So it would seem my lord." Replied the figure garbed in black; the only other inhabitant of the room.

"Fools! They go willingly to their deaths! They should know better than to try and steal what Lord Ryo of the Hyo clan has marked as his."

The emperor pondered for a long time before heaving a sigh and looking at his companion in the eyes. "Kill the rose princess."

"Are you sure your highness?" he was asked dubiously.

"I'm afraid there is no choice. I cannot condemn the foolhardiness of half the kingdom's men who lose their lives in her pursuit. …Do it."

"As you wish, sire."

As the black figure leapt lithely out the window, into the darkness, the emperor heaved another sigh. "…return safely…my love."


	6. Repercussions

******DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Repercussions**

The emperor was outraged. The Hyo clan had gone too far! A week had passed since he had sent his loyal companion on that mission, which had turned out to be suicidal. He could not believe that the Hyo clan would go to such extents.

Senka Shi succumbed to his grief about the only woman he loved but could not be with and felt blood on his hands upon realizing that he had sent her to her death. His grief too, was personal and could not be shared owing to the nature of their relationship.

He steeled his face and made a decision. The rose princess herself might not be to blame, but many lives had been lost on her account, creating turmoil in Saiunkoku. _She cannot be allowed to live. _


	7. the Black Wolf

******DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**The Black Wolf**

There was only one person he could now trust with this job. Emperor Senka had had his eye on him ever since he entered the imperial court. Shouka Hong was somebody who was intelligent, discreet and would not be suspected. Shouka Hong, he could trust. With this conclusion, the emperor summoned him to a private meeting.

"You have, no doubt, heard of the rose princess?"

"Yes, your highness"

"And do you perchance, know about the wolves of the wind?"

"A little, sire."

The emperor was impressed. _I couldn't have chosen better. This will make the job much simpler._

"The Black Wolf is dead." He said in an unfeeling voice. "You will be the new black wolf. I, Advisor Sho and you are to be the only ones who know of this identity of yours. Is that understood?"

"Yes, your majesty." Lord Shouka replied, with wide eyes. But what the emperor said next definitely shocked him more.

"Your mission is to kill the rose princess."


	8. Male Chauvinism

******DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Male Chauvinism**

"How many more innocent lives are you planning to take on my account?"

"Impressive. You sensed my presence before I showed myself. I would expect nothing less of a princess from the Hyo clan."

"You have not answered my question."

"As many as they dare." His voice steeled with a hint of possessiveness.

"I am not your property." She looked defiantly at him.

To her annoyance, he laughed! "On the contrary, my lovely Shokun, I am the head of the clan. And in that order you, who are part of this clan, belong to me." He stepped closer and lifted a lock of her hair in his palm. He kissed it before letting the silken locks flow through his hand. "The sooner you accept it, the better."

She stiffened upon his touch. "Only a poor excuse for a woman would let he, who does not know the value of and appreciate her independence, dominate over her." She haughtily turned her back to him. "Leave."


	9. Shusui

******DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Shusui**

The wolves of the wind were named so for their agility and ability to travel as one with the wind, almost unseen. The black wolf rushed through the distance, merging with the forests in the darkness that surrounded him.

In the woods he estimated to be near Hyo clan shrine, he heard a soft muffle from the bushes and hid in the camouflage of the trees as he saw a young girl stumble through and collapse on the ground.

Being the compassionate soul he was, he could not leave the young girl in her state and therefore, stayed to ensure her well-being.

He gently sprinkled water on her face and saw as she slowly regained consciousness.

"Drink this." He said, handing her the rest of the water.

She drank obediently. He waited until she was finished to question her further. He deduced from her clothes that she had come from the shrine. But she was not garbed like a shrine maiden. _A priestess perhaps, _he thought.

"What is your name?"

"Shusui."


	10. Debt and Request

******DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Debt and Request**

Lord Shouka had a lot of questions on his mind but he waited until Shusui had regained strength enough to talk.

"Are you a priestess of the Hyo clan?" was the first question he posed to her.

"In training." She corrected. "Lady Ruka is the head priestess; I am her apprentice." He decided not to broach the subject but he did not miss the wistful look in her eyes as she spoke of it.

"Can you tell me the precise whereabouts of rose princess, little girl?"

Her eyes widened at his request. "Why, I did not think you wished to try your luck too mister?"

He did not bother correcting her assumption and merely waited for her to continue.

"I'm indebted to you and therefore, I shall warn you. Bara-hime is locked in the highest room of the tower. Lady Ruka has warded off the place on Lord Ryo's orders so that anyone who dares enter will die by his hands. So please do not go there if you value your life!"

He nodded in agreement. "I cannot enter unless… I have the help of a priestess?"

She looked at him incredulously as she processed his request.


	11. A Melancholic Melody

******DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**A Melancholic Melody**

Under the cover of the dark night sky, the black wolf raced towards his destination unnoticed. He had convinced Shusui, the young priestess-in-training to help him enter the tower untouched by the ward.

He slipped past the guards stealthily and silenced them when necessary, until he finally reached the double doors concealing the maiden who had turned the country upside down. His hand reached for the handle and he thought to quickly complete his mission and return as silently as he'd come until…

An ehru. Although the double doors were thick enough to mute any sound from the room beyond, the music from the ehru wafted through the air and resounded in the black wolf's keen ears. He pushed the door open slightly and the sight he saw made him catch his breath.

Dark tresses encompassing her with an ethereal flow; flawless beauty and… a sadness. A melancholy that showed on her body and cut across with more conviction through the music she played.

At that moment, the black wolf fell in love with his prey.


	12. I Love You

******DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**I Love You**

Entranced as she was in her music, she did not notice his presence until much later. When she did, a wry smile graced her lips.

"Don't you know that it is not polite to slink in the shadows of a lady's room? Show yourself."

The black wolf stepped out of the shadows and walk straight in through the door. He stood in front of her and looked her squarely in the face.

She kept her instrument aside and unfurled her fan before judging him with slightly amused eyes.

"This is the first time a suitor has ever made it this far; I'm impressed. However, judging by your attire, I'd say that you are not a mere suitor...?" When he didn't reply, she continued. "State your name and purpose."

"I am called the Black Wolf and my purpose was to kill the rose princess. You."

"'was' you say? Are you implying that your purpose has changed? What is your new purpose then?"

"To rescue you from this prison."

"Pray, tell me why?" she asked, her amusement increasing.

He looked her eye-to-eye and replied, "I love you."


	13. Trust

**********DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Trust**

She stared disbelievingly at first and then burst out laughing. Her laughter echoed like music in his ears and he found himself more smitten with her by the minute.

"How foolish! To fall in love with the one you are sent to kill! Indeed."

Her laughter subsided and she looked at him defiantly. "What makes you think I will give my heart to you when countless others before you have died trying?"

"I can bring you to your freedom." He saw the glaze in her eyes when he mentioned freedom. "You said so yourself; I am the only one to have made it this far. I might, perhaps, be your only way out."

Her eyes softened and she retorted in a more subdued voice, "You fool. By rescuing me from my prison, you will incur the wrath of my clan. They will hunt you down. Are you prepared to die on my account?"

"From this moment on, I lay my life in your hands. I will willingly die to protect you" He extended his hand to her.

Shokun Hyo was moved. She could feel her inexplicably deep trust in this stranger's words. She tentatively reached out and put her hand into his.

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**A/N:**** Alyssa A: It's hinted at in one of the side-stories of Saiunkoku. Prince Seian's story if I remember correctly! :')**


	14. Obligation

**********DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Obligation**

The Black wolf raced through the woods, the rose princess in his arms. He had felt the wards being weakly restored as he had left the tower; it would not be long before the Hyo clan caught wind of what had happened. That gave them little time to lose.

"I am perfectly capable of running on my own two feet. I do not need a man's help."

"I am sure, my lady. However, this is the fastest way and given our lack of time, I implore you to bear the discomfort."

After a couple of minutes of silence, she spoke again, "I am still wondering as to how you got past the wards unnoticed. Only a priestess of the Hyo clan could have undone those wards for even a small amount of time… Who was it that helped you?"

He remembered what he seemed to have forgotten in the unexpected turn of events. _The little priestess! If we had been sensed by the wards, she would be in trouble._

After a moment of conflict, he realized his obligation to the one who had helped him and changed his path. If Bara-hime noticed, she did not say anything.


	15. Gratitude

**********DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Gratitude**

He reached the woods near the shrine and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Shusui in the clearing where he had left her. Her relief was reflected on her face as she took in the sight of the rose princess in his arms.

"I am so happy you were successful sir! I was afraid I was not able to remove the wards long enough!" She then turned to the rose princess and bowed, "I am happy you have found your match my lady."

Shokun Hyo hid her amusement behind her fan as she looked up at the black wolf with mirth-filled eyes; he had obviously hidden the true purpose of his 'visit'. That explained how a priestess of the Hyo clan could have possibly helped him.

He gently set her down before bowing to the young priestess. "I thank you for your help, my lady. It would not have been possible without your help."

A rosy blush covered her cheeks as she bowed in return, "Please, it was my pleasure, sir. I wish you both all the happiness in the world."


	16. Bargaining

**********DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Bargaining**

Shokun Hyo neither missed the tell-tale blush covering the young priestess's cheeks nor the wistfulness in her voice. _This is an interesting turn of events…_

Her thoughts were interrupted as a sardonic voice sounded from the shadows of the trees and Ruka Hyo stepped forward, a pleased smirk on her face.

"I notice a little disturbance in my wards and what do I come to find? Our precious rose princess! Brother Ryo would certainly not be happy to learn about this now would he?" She noted Shusui standing there and looked mildly surprised. "And you Shusui, you know very well what this means for you."

Shusui trembled in fear and Shokun's eyes narrowed as she retorted, "I would not do that if I were you, Ruka."

"Oh really? Pray, tell me why not?" she goaded.

"My leaving should finally vie your precious brother's attentions away from me; you can be the center of attention in his eyes for once. Keeping me here would be anything but beneficial to you."

Ruka's face stoned as Shokun continued, "As of now, he has not noticed my disappearance but when he does, who would incur his wrath but you? You are the head priestess, even if you do try to use Shusui as your shield."


	17. Another Rescue

**********DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sainunkoku Monogatari aka Colourcloud Palace. All credit goes to the writer Sai Yukino! Hats-off! ^_^**

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**Another rescue**

Silence spanned over minutes as Ruka Hyo contemplated all that had been said to her. Seeming to decide that it was indeed in her best interests to let them go unnoticed, her face soured as she said,

"Leave. And do not get caught, or I will personally end your life."

"Thank you, Ruka" Shokun said. "I am grateful even though I know that your reasons are completely self-centered." She added, as though reading her mind.

Ruka merely steeled her expression and disappeared into the shadows of the trees from where she had appeared.

Shokun then turned to Shusui who looked close to tears.

"Thank you my lady! Thank you!"

She went to the young woman and took her small hands into her warm ones, "It is I who is indebted to you. Thank you." She waited for the priestess to calm down before continuing, "Shusui, you must understand that you can no longer remain here. Come away with us."

Her eyes widened at the unexpected suggestion. "Oh, I…I couldn't my lady!" she said, shaking her head.

Shokun turned to the black wolf who swiftly intervened, "We are both extremely grateful to you, priestess. Please let us repay our debt of gratitude."

Shusui gave a small nod of submission as she seemed incapable of arguing with him. The black wolf, initially sent to _kill _one, was now _rescuing _two.


End file.
